At face value, it might sound like a good idea – by increasing the number of people playing, you slightly increase the odds of winning.

But if the team does beat the odds, getting the money you’ve been promised can get complicated.

Horror stories abound of workplace lottery pools gone wrong. In 2012, 12 coworkers in Illinois won a $118-million lottery drawing only to be sued by colleagues who came out of the woodwork after missing out on the action.

In 2009, Americo Lopes won a $38.5-million jackpot using a ticket he bought with five other construction workers in New Jersey. Instead of telling them, he quit his job and tried to keep all the money himself.

Powerball interest, like the jackpot, is on the rise. A cool $750 million is up for grabs Wednesday night, March 27.(Photo: Hillard Grossman/FLORIDA TODAY)

And in 1999, Tonda Lynn, a Waffle House waitress, won about $10 million that her coworkers said was supposed to be shared with them. They sued, but Lynn won.

The problem is that most people don't expect to win, so they might forgo a few necessary precautions. But experts say, don't just throw caution to the wind just because the odds are against you.

“Everybody dreams of winning the lottery, but nobody is treating these pools like a $1.6-billion transaction,” said Jason Kurland, a partner at Rivkin Radler Attorneys at Law in New York. “But it could be, and if everything isn’t done right it could be a nightmare."

To avoid complicated and sometimes lengthy legal situations, Kurland, who has consulted various lottery winners, said offices should be sure to do the following:

Assign a leader.

There should be a clear leader who is responsible for accepting the money and buying the tickets, Kurland said. “That person could be the point of contact for the lottery commission if you win, and they should be responsible for getting in touch with a lottery lawyer" for the group, Kurland said.

Get it in writing.

“In a perfect world, you should have something signed by the group,” said Kurland. He said that an email that includes all the participating coworkers could suffice.

He said the email should include front and back photocopies of the tickets purchased, a list of everyone who paid and steps that will be taken should you win.

Use cash – preferably.

Since you have to pay for lottery tickets with cash, Kurland said it’s easiest just to give cash to the leader.

“(Venmo) could add another layer of proof for who's involved," said Kurland. But, whichever you choose, he said, "be consistent."

"Don't accept cash from certain people and digital payments from others. It defeats the purpose. It's simpler just to walk around and get $2 from everyone," Kurland said.

Consider buying tickets individually.

"The truth is, 1 in 300 million is essentially the same as 20 in 300 million," Kurland said about the odds of winning. "I get it, you don’t want to be the one person who isn’t contributing if the office wins, but if I'm going to play, I'm going to buy my own ticket," he said.

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